adder

英 ['?d?] 美['?d?]

暢通詞匯爬行兩棲

復數:?adders;

adder 寬蛇

來自古英語a naeddre 錯切分成an aedder(雙元音ae后變為a).可能最終來自詞根sna, 游動，同snake,字母s脫落。

adder: adder: [OE] In Old English, the term for a snake (any snake, not just an adder) was n?ddre; there are or were related forms in many other European languages, such as Latin natrix, Welsh neidr, and German natter (but there does not seem to be any connection with the natterjack toad). Around the 14th century, however, the word began to lose its initial consonant. The noun phrase including the indefinite article, a nadder, became misanalysed as an adder, and by the 17th century nadder had disappeared from the mainstream language (though it survived much longer in northern dialects).
adder (n.): Old English n?ddre "a snake, serpent, viper," from Proto-Germanic *n?dro "a snake" (cognates: Old Norse naera, Middle Dutch nadre, Old High German natra, German Natter, Gothic nadrs), from PIE root *netr- (cognates: Latin natrix "water snake," probably by folk-association with nare "to swim;" Old Irish nathir, Welsh neidr "adder").

The modern form represents a faulty separation 14c.-16c. into an adder, for which see also apron, auger, nickname, humble pie, umpire. Nedder is still a northern English dialect form. Folklore connection with deafness is via Psalm lviii:1-5. The adder is said to stop up its ears to avoid hearing the snake charmer called in to drive it away. Adderbolt (late 15c.) was a former name for "dragonfly."

1. He is as deaf as a post [ stone , door - post , door - nail , an adder ].: 他完全聾了.

4. The adder is also the only British snake with a poisonous bite.: 蝰蛇在英國也是唯一一種有毒的蛇.

5. Why, thou art as foul as the toal, and as loathsome as the adder.: 看啊, 你跟蟾蜍一樣地難看, 跟毒蛇一樣地可惡.